Getting unstuck

A Christian Science perspective: All of us possess the spiritual strength and dominion to prosper in our work.

January 3, 2018

By Laura Clayton

Against the backdrop of the daily news that clamors for attention are hardworking, plainclothes folks like you and me navigating the not-so-easy challenges of the moment. We’re office workers and managers. Contractors and overseers. Parents, coaches, and committee chairs. Folks are counting on us to “get the job done!”

But does it ever feel as if you’re spinning your wheels in the mud? Sudden delays pop up and deadlines fly by. People don’t return your calls. Miscommunication and misfires. And by day’s end, you might feel completely stuck in a pile of discouragement or resentment.

Long ago a man named Nehemiah led efforts to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem, working with his compatriots day and night to restore the city of the Hebrew people. He faced harassment and opposition, even ridicule and deception. But his faith in good, in the one God, or Mind, and his obedience to God’s will gave him the strength and wisdom to persist – and ultimately to succeed (see book of Nehemiah, Old Testament).

Broadly speaking, one way to characterize any blockage that we might face in our day-to-day lives is “resistance to good.” In the Bible, in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul calls the unseen negative influence behind this resistance “the carnal mind,” which is “enmity against God” (8:7).

But as Nehemiah’s example shows us, through the power of God and an understanding of God’s all-power, we can overcome whatever would oppose the good we seek to do. Perceived in its inspired, spiritual meaning, the Bible reveals the supremacy, power, and infinitude of immortal Mind, God, the one lawmaker, who is wholly good and ever present. All of us are in actuality God’s children, the outcome, or spiritual reflection, of this singular intelligence, or Mind, which governs all reality. Through such spiritual truths – acknowledged and adhered to in prayer – we can rise above roadblocks and regain needed traction and momentum in our work.

We are all entitled to experience the freedom and success that come from leaning on God and acknowledging His ever-operative law of harmony governing us. Here are a few points that can be helpful:

Bring patience, not pushing, to each task. Rather than insisting on the way we think is best, we can take quiet moments to affirm that divine intelligence alone is in control, since God is the only Mind or true wisdom governing all.

Keep the joy of trusting God! Any worthwhile endeavor will present opportunities to bless those involved, because God is the source of all good in each of our lives. With every indication of progress, no matter how small, joy and gratitude will allow more and more good to appear.

Let go of resentment, criticism, and self-pity. With God, divine Love, at the helm of your thoughts and actions, and knowing that we all reflect divine Love, we’re ready and willing to bring the “oil” of grace, humility, and forgiveness to each task.

No matter how things seems to be going, we have nothing to fear or feel anxious about when we apprehend more clearly each day that immortal Mind governs and protects the unfoldment of every right purpose. God has never authorized a power opposed to the divine power, so we needn’t feel flummoxed, stymied, or stuck if faced with a challenge. Our Father in heaven has given all of us the spiritual strength and dominion to succeed and prosper in our work. As we recognize and yield to God’s law of good, the way will clear, because nothing can resist God, good, and win.

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In St. Paul’s desire to share the Christian message he loved with the world, he faced many severe obstacles. Nevertheless he could write: “My beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58).

Whatever constructive endeavor we’re engaged in, Paul’s words can cheer us on today, encouraging us to know that with God’s power we can move forward unhindered.

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